


It's Okay

by raihaqyaza



Category: NU'EST, PRISTIN (Band), SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: 95 line plus Aron, Canon Compliant, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, leader line ot3 if you squint extra hard, mention of Kaeun, mention of Produce48, mention of broduce, they basically fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-05
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-07-07 08:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15904902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raihaqyaza/pseuds/raihaqyaza
Summary: In which Kaeun is sent to Produce 48 and Nayoung is only planning to take out her frustration on her boys when it suddenly turns into a full-blown fight.





	It's Okay

**Author's Note:**

> Story takes time during the preparation of Double You concert era, which means around the time of Produce 48 screening process/result, which means Pristin V is preparing for debut, which means Seventeen is preparing for their Japanese debut, which means Nayoung gets to barge like a queen and rule wherever she pleases.
> 
> Nayoung, Jonghyun, Seungcheol, Ren, and Dongho are the same age. Aron is older than them by 2 years.
> 
> Lastly, support After School! #AFTERSCHOOLCOMEBACK and stream It's Okay by Raina!

These white walls around Nayoung have been the silent witnesses to her hardship as a trainee and idol for years.

These people sitting around her, the staff of Pledis Entertainment, are like family to her, and just as much as she was there to see them marry, have children, and even bring their children to work, they were also there to watch her grow up, graduate, and become a woman of her own.

So they should know.

They should know that Nayoung is angry, disappointed, and most of all, hurt.

When all she finds are intense silence after the meeting was declared over, she gets up stiffly, the legs of her chair making a loud, dragging noise as she pushes them by force. When no one makes an attempt to say anything after she meets their eyes one last time, she turns and leave, ignoring the worried glance of her manager. She grips hard on her clutch and storms through the hallway into the very first place she has in mind, barely acknowledging the younger staffs that scramble in their feet to make way for her.

She is frustrated, and there is only one way she knows how she can get the burning rage out of her chest.

She turns down the hall and hears dimmed, familiar music that has been playing in the company for a week now. Slipping a stray hair behind her ear, she spots the exact practice room she’s headed to. Next to the entrance door, a bright red light is attached to the wall, signaling that there is an activity occurring inside the room and therefore should not be disturbed.

Nayoung ignores it like she has never ignored anything else in life and pushes the door, which easily clicks open. She snorts, if it were so important, they should have locked it in the first place.

 A blasting music, Seventeen’s brand new Japanese track, welcomes her, and she sees how their gazes, as they go through their choreography, do not waver at the slight disturbance. They remain focused, synchronized, powerful, and she finds her anger simmers even more.

(She thinks she is only petty, but the company is currently being very unfair to her girls, and so she thinks she gets to be childish just this once)

Their manager throws her a disapproving look and he gestures her to close the door. She did exactly that without so much as feeling apologetic and leans on the wall next to him, eyes immediately finding Seungcheol’s without having to look.

In his burning passion, Nayoung is repeatedly reminded on the reason why she has remained so strong for as long as she has, and if she were a poet rather than an idol, she thinks she would dedicate her entire career in writing sonnets on his passion alone.

When Nayoung finally manages to catch his eyes, he lifts his brows in question. It isn’t often for her to go out of her way to reach for him. She hasn’t done this ever since—when was it again?

 _Oh_ —ever since she debuted and became a part of the nation-made girl group. Nayoung thinks she was barely breathing after that. It’s like she was drowning in an ocean of heavy responsibility, and while Seungcheol always manages to swim hard to soar back free in the sky, she can only seem to manage to reach just above the surface, one sink away from suffocating completely.

When Nayoung doesn’t look away, something soft and tender replace the intensity in his gaze.

Some days Nayoung thinks Seungcheol cares because they were friends first and idols second. Other days, like today, she thinks it is because perhaps he feels responsible for the downfall of Nu’est and After School.

(Lately, an ugly part of her thinks it is well deserved that he feels that way.)

She watches him maneuver out of the choreography, throws his members an apologetic look, and approaches her in easy strides. Next to her, their manager rolls his eyes and turns the music off.

The rest of the members let out a loud groan and fall to the floor in exhaustion at once.  

“No more than an hour,” the manager scowls to them both, passing Seungcheol his drink and towel.

Had this been a few years ago, the members would have hollered after them, showering the two with endless teasing and mischievous grins. Nayoung’s heart tugs at the thought of how far they’ve soared in the span of three years, and yet here she is, grounded and perplexed, remaining still with no progress even after bringing home three rookie awards.

Seungcheol remains quiet as he falls in step right next to her, and Nayoung doesn’t attempt to initiate conversation.

She simply leads the way to where Nu’est W is currently practicing for their upcoming concert. Without knocking, she enters the practice room in a stride with Seungcheol exactly one step behind. The boys, who seem to be in the middle of a break, turn as one to the newcomers. It only takes one look at Nayoung’s shaken expression to wipe the happy smile plastered on their face.

Jonghyun gets to his feet at once and goes to lock the door. He switches the light outside to red and turns back to her, “Bad meeting?”

With Jonghyun, Nayoung thinks she will dedicate her whole career attempting to paint his life on an empty canvas while continuously failing to deliver the right story had she been an artist rather than an idol. There is no one like him in this world, and she has loved and admired him from afar even before she came to love Seungcheol.

Nayoung doesn’t say anything. She takes a deep breath and joins Minki on the floor, who immediately takes her hand and rubs soothing circles on her palm.

Aron, Dongho, Jonghyun, and Seungcheol join them in a circle, all panting and dripping sweat from their brows.

“What is it?” Seungcheol asks, straightforward with a hint of urgency in his voice.

Nayoung meets his obsidian orbs and thinks it must be nice to always have something to do, to always have practices to hurry back to.

She asks unflinchingly, straightforward, and perhaps she meant to hurt just a little. “When was the last time you saw Kaeun _-unnie_?”

The little circle tenses.

You don’t talk about After School.

That is the unwritten rule that has been enforced in this building for the past few years. Except for Raina, who constantly releases digital single every year, or Nana, who books commercials and dramas like her daily meal, you don’t talk about them. Sure, their posters are hung on the walls, their signatures decorating every corner of this building as Pledis take pride in debuting them as their first ever idol group, but other than that, they are almost like myth. Whispered from staff to staff, from idol to idol, like something extraordinary that does not exist.

(And who’s to say that they do? Nayoung is hardly convinced the company still cares, especially after today).

Nayoung will not pretend she doesn’t know why they avoid the topic altogether. This is the harsh truth—if they talk about it, they have to acknowledge that they are partly the reason for the abandonment of After School, and she can bet her career that no one in this room is ready to face that kind of guilt just yet.

Not when After School literally paved the way to success for them. 

“I saw her yesterday.” Nayoung tells them, and the look of surprise on their faces is exactly how it was like on hers yesterday, when she spotted the _maknae_ of After School behind the front desk. She remembers not having the courage to look at her senior in the eyes. Remembers the heavy guilt that tugs deep in her heart.

 

 _“Why did they choose me instead of you, do you think?” Nayoung was greeted by Kaeun’s unique voice first thing in the morning as she entered the building with her warm cup of coffee. “When Kahi-_ unnie  _personally chose me, do you think that maybe they thought you were too talented to waste?”_

 

Nayoung remembers the white, hot anger that comes after, thinking Kaeun was _not_ the one who locked herself in the bathroom to cry out in devastation all those years ago after Kahi made that decision.

Seungcheol’s eyes light up. “Are they having a comeback?”

Sometimes Nayoung doesn’t know whether to slap him across the face or hug him and cry.

She laughs instead.

If only that was the case.

“One guess,” her eyes flicker to Aron, who is smart and quick when it comes to these things.

She wants them to feel how she felt when Kaeun told her. She wants them to feel the intense, ugly feeling that claws her stomach when the tall, beautiful, talented Kaeun flashed her a brave smile that failed to conceal the fear that hid behind her eyes.

Aron’s eyes widen, “Disbandment?”

Minki stops his stroking and turns to her, alert. Horrified disbelief flashes on his beautiful face.

“Worse,” Nayoung’s eyes shift to Dongho’s, who stares right back at her almost challengingly. Like this, stripped away from his helpless puppy façade, Nayoung is reminded of a false image of him that the media tried to push to not too long ago. It gets her asking, unconsciously, “Who’s the star tonight, mister _Sexy Bandit_?”

Dongho instantly clenches his jaw at the jibe. A reminder to his raw, fresh scar is all it takes for him to understand. Comprehension flickers in his eyes, and he slowly leans back on one arm, sarcastic smirk tugging in the corner of his lips. Meeting Nayoung’s eyes, he grinds his teeth and guesses, voice low and rough. “They’re sending her straight to hell.”

Realization flashes across Aron’s features, and Minki goes oddly, understandably silent right next to her.

There is a deep frown on Jonghyun’s brows, and oh how Nayoung wishes she could wipe them away.

“I don’t understand,” Seungcheol says, confusion apparent in his face. “They’re sending her to— where? Is it a transfer? You mean, like Hello Venus?”

“A transfer would have been so much better than this,” Dongho mutters aloud.

Minki snorts in disgust, eyes narrowing just so. With that expression, Minki reminds Nayoung of his younger self, all cold and pretty and ethereal. “Are they serious?”

“It seems like no one’s safe under this roof, eh?” Dongho chuckles without it quite reaching his eyes, and it is something Nayoung has seen before, not too long ago, on TV. It always left Kyulkyung to retreat early to her room to cry, back then.

Aron laughs with him, and it sounds harsh in Nayoung’s ears. His eyes are calculative and looking for trouble when he says, “But Dongho, someone is.”

Nayoung’s heart beat faster, either in excitement or nerve, she can’t tell.

She knows exactly where Aron is going, and she thinks maybe he can say this because he is protective and has had enough with the bullshit thrown his brothers’ way.

“ _Hyung_ ,” Jonghyun softly scolds him.

“This is ridiculous and you know it,” Aron snaps, laugher gone in an instant. “You would think they got better and have learned from their mistakes, but clearly this mismanagement is not about not having the proper experience and more about blatant favoritism.”

There, he said it. The word they whisper when Seventeen is not in the building, in their darkest moments.

Seungcheol reacts at that, suddenly aware. His voice is calm with a hint of rising anger, “With all due respect, _hyung_ , if you’re shitting about us _—”_

“Not shitting,” Aron runs his hand through his hair in equal frustration, perhaps a little more. “Just stating facts, Cheollie.”

Seungcheol’s jaw hardens. “Exactly _where_ are they sending Kaeun- _noona_ for you to think you can talk like that about my—”

“It’s Produce, Seungcheol.” It’s Jonghyun who cuts him off, and there is a rare impatience in his voice that makes Nayoung want to reach out. As a person who has been in this industry longer than Seungcheol, his charisma demands silence—obedience, even. In the midst of the tension, his gentle strength resonates within Nayoung.

Only he can spell this out, loud and clear, along with all of the implication of what it means to be sent where he was sent to not too long ago.

“Kaeun- _noona_ is auditioning for the new season of Produce.”

Several expressions flash through Seungcheol’s face at once, until he settles on a distant frown, gaze avoiding all five of them. When he doesn’t offer any comments—not even one of disbelief, Nayoung exhales the breath that she doesn’t realize she has been holding.

Seungcheol is passionate and hot headed, but he is never stupid. He can draw his own conclusion and figure out where all the fingers are pointing at.

“Is she going alone?” Aron asks aloud, almost dangerously. His fingers are already reaching to his phone, and Nayoung guesses he is only one second away from contacting Raina- _unnie_.

Dongho’s eyes widened, unprepared with what Aron is implying. “They can’t send all remaining members of After School—Kahi- _noona_ —”

Minki and Jonghyun flinch in sync.

 _Oh,_ imagine the wrath.

Nayoung enlightens them, “It’s just her, and Huh Yunjin.”

The tension in Aron’s shoulder relaxes slightly as he shoves his phone back to his pocket, “The new American girl?”

Nayoung nods.

The sweet, tall, bubbly American girl.

“No,” Seungcheol laughs, and it sounds forced, strangled. “No, maybe you got it wrong. Maybe Kaeun- _noona_ is just helping the new girl train for Produce, the CEO would never disrespect Kahi- _noona_ ’s legacy—”

Oh, for the love of—

“Of course you think so.” Something in Nayoung snaps, and Seungcheol’s laugh fades immediately. From the corner of her eyes, she can see the deadly stare Minki is sending his way.

Nayoung wants to pull her hair out, because this is ridiculous and she did not mean to pick a fight, but someone needs to slap some sense to Seungcheol and she would like to do the honor. “How can he treat you badly?” She asks, frustrated smile tugging on the corner of her lips. “No, he gives you the most production budget for every comeback, a proper publicity before debut, new cars, new dorm—of course you kiss the ground he walks on.”

The neutrality in Seungcheol face is replaced with an outright anger, but Nayoung is standing on the edge of hysteria and knows no other way than to say what’s on her mind.

She takes a deep breath. “You worked hard and you deserve every single bit of what you have, but I know you understand that if you want to make it in this business, it’s not _just_ about hard work. You need good publicity, concept, visuals, songs—”

“You know that we self-produce, the company barely works for any of that shit for us,” Seungcheol bites back, equally sharp.

“And you think we don’t?” Dongho flexes, brows lifting challengingly.  

“And the variety shows—you’ve had, what, three now? One for each year?” Minki joins in, outright hostile.

Seungcheol throws his hand up in clear exasperation and rises to his feet. “How many times do I have to tell you that my hands are tied in any of the decision the company makes? We were just as much of a guinea pig as you were!”

“And you guys made it big with their new strategy, so how do you explain why we were still treated differently, then, _S.Coups_?” Nayoung asks without missing a single beat.

“You guys got just as good publicity as we did!”

“Oh, really?” Nayoung’s eyes narrow into dangerous slits.

“The rest of the girls got a pre-debut single while you were off making name with I.O.I, didn’t they?” Seungcheol exclaims. “And _what_ do you call those pre-debut concerts if not good publicity?”

Nayoung shakes her head disbelievingly and crossed her arms. “They weren’t. You know that.”

Seungcheol doesn’t reply. He rubs his face in irritation and takes a long look at them. “Listen, I’m sorry, but we had it just as hard as all of you.”

Aron snorts, and Seungcheol’s eyes flickers dangerously to him. “You know _hyung_ , might as well say what’s on your mind.”

Aron stands at the invitation. Nayoung exchanged a quick glance with Jonghyun, and he—

Jonghyun discreetly shakes his head.

_Oh._

So much for a saint.

(This is the only way Jonghyun can vent, by letting his members vocalize what’s on their mind for him. Being angry and emotional, that is not his way.)

“You probably look at us and enjoy it, don’t you?” Aron approaches Seungcheol in easy steps. Seungcheol stands his ground, clenched fists kept by his side. “You probably think _thank goodness I didn’t debut with these failures, and to think I was so miserable when my name wasn’t announced,_ right?”

Oh.

Nayoung expected to hear the worst, but nothing can prepare her for this. The words instantly roll over in her brain, and she feels her heart drop at how closely they resonate within her.

 

_“I’m glad you’re here with us,” Little Junghyun—Xiyeon—cuddled up into Nayoung’s bed. “I’m glad they waited.”_

_The dim moonlight peeked through the window, soft light falling on XIyeon’s pink hair. Nayoung knew Xiyeon chose her word deliberately, implying exactly what she meant to imply. Letting out a content sigh, Nayoung pulled Xiyeon closer and let herself speak what had been kept in her heart for a long time. “Me too.”_

 

Seugcheol’s jaw clenches, and so does hers. Before she manages to hide her reaction, his eyes glint over to her, and something unreadable sets in his face.

Nothing good can come from that look.

Aron doesn’t stop there, his smile ready to prey. “Little Seungcheol, sets aside by the CEO because he wasn’t ready, but then plot twist, he blew up like we never did. You should go ahead and write about that in your next album, I’m sure the company will produce them.”

“Careful,” Seungcheol warns, a grin slowly appearing, just a tad bit cocky. He makes a show of dragging his eyes over to Nayoung, and the grin transforms into a smirk with a touch of unfamiliar ruthlessness. “You know, _hyung_ , any more descriptive and I’d think Nayoung poured her hearts out to you before this whole charade.”

Seungcheol is never stupid, but Nayoung knows him to be hot headed, always.

And Nayoung, she is rational, reasonable, but she too, has pride. “Excuse me?”

Seungcheol cocks an eyebrow, “Poor little Nayoung, sets aside by Kahi- _noona_ because she wasn’t ready, but plot twist—”

“Stop,” Nayoung warns, temper flaring in incredible speed.

“—she blew up like After School never—but _oh_ ,” Seungcheol stops purposely. His words are arranged in such way to hurt, and Nayoung forgets that this Seungcheol exists behind his goofy, childish demeanor. “They did blow up, didn’t they? Sure, they got dropped after, but their hype was glorious for a short while. You know what that reminds me of, Nayoung?”

Nayoung hates the truth in his words more than she hates him for voicing them. “I dare you to finish that—"

“We are Pristin, _annyeong._ ” He drags each syllable, mocking and retaliating. 

Nayoung grabs the towel on Minki’s shoulder, ignoring his wince at the force of her strength, and she throws it at Seungcheol’s face with all the power that she has, “How _could_ you?” she shrieks, voice high in her anger.

She shakes, and everyone gets to their feet.

It’s not Seungcheol that she hates. Never him.

It’s herself that she hates for not being able to do anything despite her many achievement, and maybe this is how Kaeun, Raina, and Nana, feel on daily basis. How can they live like this?

Seungcheol easily grabs the towel out of thin air, and raises his chin daringly, “Is this what you dragged me out of my important practice for, Im Nayoung? For a fight?”

They have never been here before.

She never thought they would ever get here.

One look at everyone and she realizes it is only about time.

Nayoung makes a move to step forward, heart screaming murder, but a strong hold on her shoulder—Minki—pulls her back.

“Now you’re just being an asshole,” Minki scowls, pulling Nayoung to his side by her waist “I suggest you keep that attitude in check.”

“Playing knight in shining armor, Minki?” Seungcheol lifts his brows challengingly.

“She can win her own fight fair and square,” The displeasure in Minki’s frown is apparent. “You, on the other hand, is being a _child_.”

Seungcheol scoffs, “I’m not the one breaking down in tears on National TV because a dance is too hard.”

Minki’s hand on Nayoung’s waist clenches hard.

Aron growls protectively, “Kid, I don’t care you’re debuting in Japan, I can easily take you down if you don’t shut your mouth—”

“You already have a strike on Seventeen, _hyung,_ are you sure you want to risk it?”

Nayoung wants to throw up. For Seungcheol to openly strike back, to reach deep within their most vulnerable selves, and twist his words just _so_ to make the wound gape wider—

This is why they say your closest friends make the worst enemies.

It’s ironic how they share such a strong bond to the point they are able to hurt each other this much.

“I think you should step back,” Dongho intervenes, face flushed with anger.

“Clearly this is what you want,” Seungcheol bites back. “Say what you really think about Seventeen, then, go on, see if that makes you feel any better about yourself.”

“Seungcheol,” Jonghyun warns, a step forward.

“And you should join too, while you’re at it. Say it in my face, Jonghyun, I know you’re not _that_ nice.”

Nayoung opens her mouth—

“Enough,” Jonghyun says without so much as a flinch before she gets to say anything. His hold of command is strong, even over Seungcheol, and it is not something that Nayoung has seen anyone challenge.

They may think Seungcheol have Pledis wrapped around his fingers, but they have not seen the CEO ducking away from Jonghyun’s intense no-nonsense stare during meetings. They have not seen him smiling just _so_ to convey his displeasure when Nu’est is not treated right.

Seungcheol turns provokingly to Jonghyun, and them, standing like this, face-to-face, reminds Nayoung of Heaven.

 

_“You’re collaborating, then?” Nayoung pulled Seungcheol’s jacket tighter on her shoulder one November as they left the meeting room, having just discussed their schedules for the upcoming MAMA performance._

_Jonghyun’s smile was radiant and Nayoung loved seeing him like that, all giddy and hopeful. “Can you imagine that? We’re finally invited for an award show after five years.”_

_“Fuck that, can you imagine we’re all going?” Seungcheol offered a fist bump, and Jonghyun met him halfway with his characteristic laugh._

_“They said I need to talk to Dongho about the song, so I’m gonna go over to his studio,” Jonghyun said, barely able to stay on his feet out of excitement._

_“Yeah, I need to talk to the kids, too, see you later when we have a schedule prepared?” Seungcheol asked, turning to leave._

_“I’m going that way too, we can discuss the technicalities on our way.”_

_Seungcheol glanced over to her and flashed his gummy grin, “See you, then. Keep the jacket.”_

_Stuffing her hands into the oversized pockets, Nayoung watched them leave side by side as an equal.  Heart filled with indescribable warmth, she smiled and turned to find her members, thinking her time to join them on stage will come one day._

 

As much as she loves them, and they her, this is something she is still not able to get into. She watches them, and she thinks about herself as a lone pillar not quite strong enough yet to stand on an equal ground with the other two leaders. 

She is not quite there yet, always chasing, but never reaching.

Her heart begs for them to end this here and now, before they break apart completely. She needs them together, needs them to be strong, because chasing after them is all she has known as she longs after their path to greatness, to multiple spotlights.

After a long silence, Seungcheol shuts his eyes and exhales slowly.

(Seungcheol is hotheaded, but never stupid.)

Tension leaves Nayoung’s shoulder.

(He is never stupid, and so it is the smart thing to do to accept Jonghyun’s superiority)

 _They,_ Nayoung corrects, are not there yet.

Instantly, the atmosphere seems to lighten as Seungcheol slowly sits, leaning back against the wall. He repeats his breathing exercise, eyes still shut, and his defeated expression breaks the dam in Nayoung’s chest.

She lets out a sob and crumbles next to him. “I’m sorry,” she gasps, feeling incredibly sorry and _oh_ so very tired.

Seungcheol rubs his eyes tiredly and looks up to see them one by one. His face shows resignation, maturity, and between the faint lines in his face, there is exhaustion that easily shows the heavy burden he carries. “I’m sorry that After School _noonas_ are not treated right— _hell_ , I’m sorry you guys aren’t treated right. But this has nothing to do with me, or my kids.”

Nayoung sees him, and she sees a boy hopelessly trying to swim back to the surface every time the wave crashes in and pulls him back to where he first began.  Nayoung gets herself together, and she tells him softly, “I know. My frustration was misplaced, and I am sorry.”

Nayoung takes Minki’s hand and pulls him to sit, and the other follows warily.

She composes herself and lets out a weak laugh. “You guys were not there when she told me how she wishes she didn’t debut,” she explains, memory fresh and heart still aching. “And I used to be so angry at her for being chosen despite having only trained for a short while. I used to beat myself up for not being good enough—”

“You were,” Minki snaps.

“I didn’t know that.” Nayoung smiles, energy draining out of her. “And Junghyun tries, she tries so hard to makes me see sense, but After School was legendary and I wanted to be a part of that legend.”

“Nayoung, you’ve become a legend of your own,” Seungcheol stresses.

“Yes, I understand that, but at what cost?” Nayoung asks him patiently.

There is Kyla, who is an ocean away and not coming back for a while. There are her I.O.I members, who each had to have their rookie dreams smashed to the ground because the public likes Pristin better.

When Seungcheol doesn’t reply, Nayoung turns to Jonghyun. “And now I might have to see her, with Minhyun, because they want us to record video teasers.”

Dongho mutters, “That’s fucked up.”

Nayoung takes the daunting silence as a mutual agreement.

They stay that way for a while, each basking in the harsh truth of their lives as idols.

“I’m sorry,” Nayoung whispers again, tears drying on her face.

“I’m sorry, too,” Jonghyun follows, reaching out to nudge Seungcheol with an apologetic smile.

Seungcheol looks at them and shakes his head. They are made of stronger material and have gone through worst fights. He simply pulls Nayoung closer, holding her head gently as she leans on his shoulder. Like this, with Seungcheol by her side, Minki in another, and Jonghyun, Dongho, and Aron in front of them, she feels at home and all of seventeen years old again, tired and nothing but a trainee.

She remembers this, how they used to gather in excitement and sit together, trading stories and hopes and dreams, dreams that are starting to seem closer these days but are getting harder to reach. She doesn’t miss the lack of the ugly green backdrop, though she does miss the presence of Minhyun, who is apart of this, apart of a group of teenagers who thought they were on top, not knowing there are higher challenges, sometimes in the form of pink and blue pyramids.

They used to sit like this, surrounded by the same suffocating air and helplessness, only they used to smile brighter, not giving in without a fight and pushing forward, always.

“We’ll be okay,” Jonghyun used to say, wiping his brows and starting again from the top, with four other teenagers following blindly because they are bound by something stronger than trust.

“We’ll be okay,” Seungcheol used to resonate back, before he returns to his own practice room, and he was never only talking about himself, always representing, always a responsible leader and older brother to 12 other children who looked to him for guidance.

And Nayoung, she used to nod along, believing them but never quite having the confidence to say it, because she was rational and did not know if she and her girls were ever going to be okay. 

She still doesn’t know if they are.

She still can’t say for sure that she is.

She looks at them again, and remembers that she is all of 23 years old now, a woman of her own with passion that burns quietly and faith that clutches at her heart, and though she has never said it aloud, it is what has gotten her through the past two years as she chanted them like mantra before she sleeps, before she grabs a microphone, before the spotlight turns to her and the world fades around her.

What she has gotten through is nothing compared to theirs, and perhaps will never compare, but she has stayed strong for so long for herself, for her members, and for these boys, and so she thinks she can allow herself this much.

Minki’s hand is comfortable in her grasp and Aron’s tired smile is back to its usual warmth. The lines in Dongho’s shoulder has relaxed over the past few months, and Minhyun crosses his calendar every day, counting down in his quiet patience and excitement to come home.

They all have been swimming through the open ocean and against the angry tides together for years, and though it took a while for them to surface, they eventually did, one after another. If life is bringing them heavy storms this time, or a whirlpool that threatens to suck them back down, Nayoung thinks she is not afraid.

Jonghyun will take her to her parents’ restaurant and offer the kind of comfort only he can provide, and he will hold her until their phone rings with their managers’ worried calls, because just as much as Nayoung will want to get away, he will want to do so, too, and what’s better than to escape together?

After that, Seungcheol will take them home and hand them cold cans of soda, and he will kiss her by the temple and let Jonghyun claim he’s tired and pick him up in a piggyback ride.

Later, their members will find them, and they will sit down if they need to, or leave if they want to, but they will be together, always, through it all.

Nayoung is okay here, and she says it like how she feels it.

“We’ll be okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Not as painful as I want it to be, please let me know if I was able to portray the fight scene well!
> 
> Also, yes, there was this stupid issue about Aron and SVT way back when.


End file.
